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There's a funny exchange in HBO's Veep when Selina Meyeraka Julia Louis-Dreyfus is trying to decide how to frame her position on abortion as she makes a White House run. A male aide suggests that she preface whatever position she has with the phrase "as a woman" in order to wrap her policy position in identity politics. "No, no, no, I can't identify as a woman! People can't know that," she says. "Men hate that. And women who hate women hate that, which, I believe, is most women."

This is the sitcom version of Hillary Clinton's dilemma as she readies her 2016 presidential bid. The difficulty of that balancing act was apparent Tuesday when Clinton spoke before a group of people who are very much her base: well-heeled, mostly white, women.

She came onstage and left as "I'm Every Woman," blasted from the speakers. She joked about her weight: "You can tell I am not doing Fitbit. Do I really want something telling me I should do what I know what I should do?" She cheered Patricia Arquette's Oscars equal-pay speech, and declared that it's time to "crack every glass ceiling." And she quoted Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright when she said that there is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women.

There was also this:

It was all I-am-woman-hear-me-roar, a seeming foreshadow of her campaign themes -- and a striking contrast to the messaging of her last presidential campaign. Clinton, the conventional wisdom goes, is embracing the historic nature of her would-be run this time around, going where she didn't go in 2008 until the very end.

That approach -- or at least the belief that it will be her planned approach -- has drawn criticism from people like possible 2016 foil Carly Fiorina, who said she expects that Clinton will unfortunately play the gender card over and over again.

Yet, it's not clear, at least so far that Clinton actually plans to do that.

Sure, many of her speeches have been about women, but those speeches have come in front of audiences of all women. Blasting Chaka Khan's anthem and talking about Albright is a kind of situation-specific code switching that doesn't necessarily tell us if or how Clinton will "play the gender card."

A piece by Emily Schultheis at National Journal called "Clinton's 2016 Gender Play," lays out Clinton's strategy:

Already, recent words and actions hint at the ways she'll bring gender into the 2016 campaignby talking about issues like pay equity, affordable child care, and paid family leave, referencing her past work for women and children, and gushing about her new granddaughter.

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The Fix: Hillary Clinton plays the gender card (even when she doesnt)